A critically ill baby in Gaza, Sadeel Hamdan, urgently needs a liver transplant to survive. Doctors say she has only days to live without medical evacuation.
Sadeel, who is nine months old, suffers from liver cirrhosis, leading to severe fluid accumulation in her abdomen. Dr. Abed, a pediatrician at Al Aqsa Hospital and member of the NGO Children Not Numbers, has highlighted the severity of her condition. He is making a desperate appeal to save her life, stating that without evacuation, she will die within days.
“No words can describe what we are seeing,” Dr. Abed told ITV News.
Sadeel’s parents are pleading for help, saying that every minute counts. They fear she has no chance of survival if she remains in Gaza.
Efforts to get Sadeel treatment abroad have failed. Her name was on a list for medical evacuation, but hopes were dashed when the Rafah crossing closed on May 7 after Israel took control of the border. Since then, Sadeel and other critically ill patients have been trapped in Gaza, with their conditions worsening. Health officials describe the closure as “a death sentence.”
Somaya Ouazzani and Sarah Ben Tarifite, founders of Children Not Numbers, stated, “We secured approval for Sadeel’s medical evacuation out of Gaza shortly before the crossing closed on May 6. Each day the crossing remains closed, she gets closer to death. We had a golden opportunity to evacuate her when she was stable and responding to medications while awaiting a liver transplant. The crossing’s closure may cost her life.”
Sadeel’s case is not unique. The United Nations, World Health Organization (WHO), and several global NGOs have called for the protection of hospitals throughout the conflict. According to the WHO, Gaza’s healthcare system has been severely damaged, with more than two-thirds of hospitals not functioning. Over the past eight months, the conflict has resulted in over 100,000 Palestinian casualties, including a significant number of children.
The Ministry of Health in Gaza reports that more than 15,000 children have been killed and tens of thousands injured during this period.
